Everist concentrates on waste-reducing body wash
16 Nov 2021 --- Everist’s latest formulation, a waterless body wash concentrate, follows the brand’s award-winning, patent-pending waterless hair care concentrates. With the goal of creating as little waste as possible, Everist’s waterless products are plant-based, free of single-use plastic, vegan, cruelty-free and are packaged in recyclable toothpaste-like aluminum tubes.
With its body wash concentrate, Everist hopes to continue to bring forward clean, sustainable and performance-driven innovations that change the way people think about their personal care routines. Jayme Jenkins, Chief Brand Officer and Co-Founder at Everist, says: “Reducing the carbon and plastic-waste impact of traditional, water-filled beauty products is the premise Everist was built on. Just like hair care, traditional body washes are primarily water and packaged in single-use plastic, and so we were inspired to do better.”
Speaking about the formulation, Jenkins continues: “With this addition to our product lineup, we combine the benefits of skin care ingredients with gentle cleansing properties to encourage customers to eco-upgrade their routine. For us, it always comes back to performance first.”
Similar to its hair care concentrates, the body wash is water-activated with a paste-to-lather consistency and gently cleanses and conditions the skin. Alongside the body wash, the brand is also launching a 100% biodegradable and home compostable Konjac Sponge made of natural konjac plant fiber. Sharing what inspired the new entrant on the personal care scene to launch its waterless body wash concentrate, Jenkins replies: “Our customers - they were asking for it.”
“The launch of our body wash is set to revolutionize the category, and it marks an important milestone for Everist,” expresses Jessica Stevenson, CEO and Co-Founder of Everist. “Nowadays, we all recognize that we need to live more sustainably, but these choices can be overwhelming.”
She adds: “As a brand, we believe that we are not only accountable for the waste our products create (and for getting that as close to zero as possible), but we are also accountable for providing solutions that make eco easier for that mainstream beauty customer. Eco products, especially in beauty, need to feel like an upgrade and we will continue to connect with our eco-optimist community to understand where those eco-upgrades are needed next.”
The waterless challenge
“We have always planned to expand into body care, and our patent-pending status on the waterless paste concept is for both hair and body,” highlights Jenkins. Body wash seemed like a natural extension to Everist’s offering, with its aim to give an eco-upgrade to the complete shower routine. Settling on its latest product, the co-founders particularly considered consumers who were on the go; taking part in sports and traveling, for instance. “A compact 100ml tube is the perfect, portable addition to a gym or travel bag,” notes Stevenson.
“The patent-pending formula itself is completely waterless, paste-textured and a concentrated blend of gentle cleansers suspended in skin care ingredients like aloe vera and vegetable glycerin,” Jenkins explains, describing how its waterless body wash is different from other products already on the market. “Because of this, you get a super-rich, creamy lather that leaves skin feeling so soft and hydrated.”
Everist knew from the outset it wanted its body wash to be waterless. Next, it needed to understand how to apply innovation and science to successfully formulate the personal care staple without water. “Not only do we not add any water to the formulation, but we also source ingredients and raw materials that do not have water in their composition. This is quite a challenge but allows us to make sure we're packing the formula with active ingredients that have amazing skin benefits.”
“Water also supports bacteria growth in cosmetic formulas, so by being completely anhydrous we can also keep our formulas ultra-clean,” Jenkins relays.
As Everist had experience with its waterless hair care concentrates, the development cycle from initial idea to rollout was much faster for its body washes. “We still took our time to experiment and tweak the formula, adding skin conditioners like betaine and making sure it worked seamlessly with our single-use plastic-free aluminum tubes,” Jenkins details.
Envisioning a patent-worthy, innovative product and subsequently launching it on to the competitive personal care space is not without its obstacles. “Like our hair care concentrates, being first to market requires time and dedication to education, refining the communication around the concept so it is super clear and doesn't seem intimidating,” explains Stevenson.
“Trying is believing - once people sample the formula they are hooked. So our goal is to get it into people's hands (and into their showers) so they know for themselves how amazing eco products can be,” Jenkins enthuses.
Looking ahead, a key part of Everist’s long-term strategy involves expanding its retail presence and product development roadmap. The brand notes it currently has several other “category-redefining” products lined up for development.
By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, BPC Insights Senior Journalist